Washing machine for light household service



April 7, 1925. 1,532,135

R. H. KIRBY WASHING MACHINE FOR"LIGHT HOUSEHOLD SERVICE 7 Filed Jan. 16, 192a 3 SheetsShet ,1

R. H. KIRBY WASHING CHINE FOR LIGHT HUUSEHOLD SERVICE Filed Jan. 16. 1922 3 she ts-sheet;

R. H. KIRBY WASHING MACHINE FOR 1119K? HOUSEHOLD SERVICE April 7 Filed Jan. 16 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5.

mm D.

Patented Apr. 7, 1925. i

UNITED STATES ROBERT H. KIRBY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

WASHING MACHINE FOR LIGHT HOUSEHOLD SERVICE.

Application filed January 16, 1922. Serial No. 529,436.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. KIRBY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis, inthe county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 'in a Washing -Machine for Light Household Service; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a machine primarily designed for washing clothes, but also susceptible for use in churningbutter.

And. it is an object of this invention to provide asmall washing machine of novel structure designed for washing dainty garments, wearing apparel, small household linen,-'and any other special clothing or householdfabrics that are not too bulky.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a washing machine that can be readilyhandled as a unit by a person, so

that the same can be readily placed upon and removed from a heating apparatus to which the washing receptacle is adapted.

It is a further object of this invention to construct a washing machine that is adapted for churning butter or the like.

' It is also an object of this invention to provide such a washing machine with a novel form of transmission mechanism neat- 1y. enclosed and operated by a small electric motor or other prime mover.

With these and other objects in view, which will become more apparent from the following description and disclosure in the drawings, this invention com rises the novel mechanisms, structures an combinations hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention, and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar features in the difierent views:

Figure 1 is aside elevational view of my washing machine mounted upon an electric heater.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the heating element on a slightly enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 0 Figure 2 on an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged section illustrating the manner of connecting tlul transmission mechanism to the plunger r0 Figure 6 is a rear view of the switch board and wiring on the electric heater.

Figure 7 is an enlar ed section through the transmission casing i lustrating the gearing transmission.

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view through the flexible connecting means between the motor and transmission gearing.

Figure 9 is an enlarged view taken on the line 99 of Figure 1, showing the bottom of the heating element in plan view and the supporting legs in section.

My invention in its broadest aspect comprises a washing receptacle in which the clothes are put, and a member for closing the receptacle, a washing element extending through said member, and operating mechanism including a motor supported on said member and operatively connected to said washing element. This mechanism su porting member is adapted to be removab y applied to the washing receptacle and may constitute the cover thereof.

As shown on the drawings:

In referring to the different figures of the drawing, especially Figure 4, it will be noted that I have illustrated a washing receptable 1 having an upwardly dished bottom 2 and a mechanism supporting member in the form of a cover 3 which has a downwardly extending annular flange 4 provided with a bead 5 which is designed to abut against a bead 6 forming the upper edge of the receptacle 1, when the flange 4 has been inserted within the upper end of the. receptacle. The cover thus is frictionally held in position sufliciently tight to prevent leakage from splashing, but if the machine is overloaded with clothes, the cover may be lifted from its position when the plunger reaches the lowest point of its stroke, thuswise protecting the motor from strain and from bein burned out. The lifting of the cover un er such circumstances will also cause a noise that will warn the operator.

The cover 4, which forms the supporting means for the operating mechanism of the washing machine, can be readily removed by a person without much effort when it is not desired to wash garments in'the machine,

and the receptacle can be used for other pur-' poses. Further, the combined receptacle The operating mechanism comprises a.

small electric motor 7 (Figures 1 and 2) supported upon a base member 8 on the cover, the base member 8 being provided with a switch for starting and stopping the motor when the current is turned on, and for regulating the speed of the machine. The armature shaft 9 (Figures 2 and 8) has secured upon its end a collar 10, to which one end of a flexible connecting means such as a coil sprin 11 is secured, the opposite end of said spring being connected to a collar 12 rigidly secured on the transmission shaft 13 which projects a short distance from the transmission housing or casing 14 (Figure 4) mounted upon the cover 3 and secured by a bracket 14 secured to the cover.

The shaft 13 is journalled in bearings formed in the walls of the casing 14 (Figure 4) and has secured thereon a small drive pinion 15 (Figure 7) within the casing, which meshes with a gear wheel 16 secured u on a shaft 17 also journalled in the walls 0? the casing. A small pinion 18, shown in dotted lines in Fi ure 7, is secured u on the shaft 17 and mes es with a gear w eel 19 secured upon a shaft 20 journalled in the walls of the transmission casing. The housin or casing 14 is provided with a partition wa ll 21 (Figure 5) which'comprises one of the walls" in which the shaft 20 is journalled. The shaft 20 projects beyond the partition wall where it rigidly supports a crank 22 hazing a crank pin 23 secured on its outer en The partition wall 21 divides the transmission housing into two compartments; one compartment encloses the caring; the other compartment houses t e reciprocating plunger rod. In this way it becomes imlplossible for any dirt, grease or lubricant to nd its way from the driving gears to the washing receptacle. The second compartment comprises a downwardl extending base portion 24 resting .upon t e cover and provided with an aperture through which the plan er rod 26 is adapted to be reciprocate e upper part 14 of the housing or casin 14 is removably secured to the lower part y screws or the like, and the second compartment is closed by a removable vertisafety of the operator, and when not in use from breakage and rust and causing injury to individuals.

The upper part 14 of the housing is provided with an upwardly directed extension 14 which supports a depending rod 25 which serves as a guide for the aforementioned reciprocating plunger rod 26, which is a hollow tubular shaft that telescopes over the guide rod 25 and extends through the aperture in the base 24 of the housing and through a suitable aperture in the cover 3 of the washing rece tacle to a suitable depth in said receptacle or supporting the washing element which may be in the form of a vacuum cup or pounder 27.

The upper end of the plunger rod 26 has aflixed thereon a wrist pln block 28 having a wrist pin 29 upon which is journalled the upperend of a pitman 30, the lower end oi. which is journalled upon the pin 23 on the crank 22. The wall of the extension 14 adjacent the wrist in 29 is provided with a guide roove 31 Figure 5) in which the outer end of the pin 29 is guided in a true rectilinear path. .The hubs of the pitman 30 may be provided with grease cups 32 for the purpose of furnishing lubricant to the respective crank ins.

It is characterlstic of my invention that the cover with the operating mechanism thereon may be removed and inverted, the vacuum cup removed, and the inverted mechanism placed within the receptacle 1 for shipping purposes, or for storing and handling the same.

The washing receptacle 1 may be heated by placing the same upon a stove or other heating apparatus of suitable form. In the present instance there is illustrated an electric heater 33 of suitable construction. The illustrated electric heater consists of a variable nesistance box 33 supported upon legs 34 in any approved manner, the resistance box being covered with a grate 35 for more effectively radiating th heat from the coils. In order to increase or decrease the resistance of the coils, a switch 36 (Figure 1) has been provided on the side of the coil box whereby coils can be cut out or put in the electric circuit. As the structure of the resistance box and switch are well known, no detailed description is necessary.

The current for the heater and motor can be derived from the electric lighting system and conveyed by the conductor 37 to the coil box and from the coil box through the conductor 38 to the motor which is supplied with a control switch, so that the motor need not run while the water in the washing receptacle is being heated, or so it can be op;

erased when the electric heater is not being use When it is desired to use the washing machine with the stand furnished, it is only necessary to place the same upon the heater and connect the heater with the source of energy and regulate the switch 36in accordance with the heat desired. Assuming that a quantityof washing fluid and clothes have been placed in the receptacle 1, it will be evident that the heat radiating from the coils will soon heat the washing fluid. When the washing fluid has been sufficiently heated, the motor 7 can be put in operation by means of the motor switch. The operation of the motor will put in operation the train of gears 15, 16, 18 and 19, whereby the shaft 20 and crank 22 are rotated for reciprocating the plunger rod 26 as is obvious from the drawings.

It will accordingly be apparent that I have invented a washing machine adapted for light household service that occupies but little space and can be readily kept in a small apartment. It should be noted that a single member supports the entire operating mechanism, which is completely housed in a compact form, and that the member and mechanism can be readily removed so that the same can be readily stored on a shelf or the like when not in use. i

I am aware that'numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide one compartment embodying a rotatable shaft extending through a bearing in said partition into the other compartment, a motor on said support connected to said gearing, a vertical extension forming part of said second compartment, a depending guide rod in said extension, a hollow plunger rod in said second compartment mounted to reciprocate on said guide rod, and a crank and pitmanconnection between said rotatable shaft and plunger rod for reciprocating the latter on its guide rod.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT KIRBY. Witnesses:

CARLTON HILL,

JAMES M. OBRIEN. 

